AMBERWINE

SKILLCULT, APPLE BREEDING PROJECT

THIS PAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ON MY APPLE VARIETY AMBERWINE.

Amberwine fruited for the first time in 2021, from seed planted in 2015. It is a cross between William’s Pride and Vixen. Williams pride, the seed parent, is a summer ripening apple of excellent quality with almost complete immunity to apple scab. Vixen is an apple bred by Albert Etter in the first part of the 20th century. It has a wine-like savory character that few apples have. Vixen is much like a larger version of it’s relative Wickson, which more people are familiar with.

When I first made this cross, I wasn’t sure why I was making it, but I figured it was two interesting apples and why not throw a wild card in once in a while and see what happens! I’m glad I did, since that batch of seeds yielded Amberwine and several other promising apples (and now two other named early cooking apples, Twang and Integrity.) Amberwine is an early fall apple, ripening in September. When ripe, the background of the fruit turns a pretty amber color. The flesh also has some yellow coloring.

The flavor is not complex, but very pleasant, with a significant amount of umami or savory flavor. Read more about my savory apple breeding efforts at this link. The savory component of Amberwine is what really makes it interesting. It gives it a depth uncommon in apples, becasue it builds on the palate the more you chew it. It also reminds me of wine, thus the name. Flavor wise, this is not a sensational apple, but rather simple and sophisticated, but rich in its own way. I like to say if it were be classified with other food, it would belong with the wine and cheese, not the candy. Speaking of which, it is excellent with cheese. As I suspected, savory apples seem to be a special match with cheese and kind of a game changer. If you grow this apple, get yourself a block of aged english cheddar and see for yourself. It is not a tart apple, but very sweet and low acid. At times it can be cloying, or even bland after eating a bunch of more tart apples. If I could, I would inject more acid in the mix personally, but she is what she is.

The flesh is on the dense side. Early specimens had an odd floury texture to the pulp, but later fruitings have not. I don’t find the texture to hold up well, so this is a short season dessert apple.

I got to eat quite a few Amberwine the first year it fruited and was a fan by the end of the season, enough so that I named it. The apples I was eating the most around then were Sunrise, Amberwine and another seedling of mine Cherry Crush. Out of all the apples that are ripe at that time, those were the ones that most got my attention. I’m hoping that Amberwine will inheret at least some of the scab resistance of it’s parent Williams’ Pride. Stay tuned.

I have high hopes for this apple improving as it fruits more and I look forward to eating them for years to come.